NCAA rules QB Patterson can play at Michigan

Shea Patterson will be able to play at Michigan. Photo Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

The NCAA ruled on Friday that former Mississippi quarterback Shea Patterson will be able to play for Michigan in the upcoming season.

The athletic departments at Michigan and Ole Miss worked together during the last week to create a waiver request that both schools agreed was accurate and took advantage of recently adapted NCAA rules make Patterson eligible.

The NCAA decided to waive in Patterson’s case its normal rule that requires non-graduated transfers to sit out a year before returning to the playing field.

“There are a lot of people who worked really hard to help make this transfer process a success,” Patterson said in a statement. “I want to thank Coach (Jim) Harbaugh, the University of Michigan and the NCAA for allowing me to continue my education and football career at one of the best universities in the country.”

The waiver, which used an NCAA amendment passed earlier this month that takes a player’s academic standing into account when applying to play immediately, put to rest previous objections that Ole Miss had to Patterson’s reasons for transferring.

Patterson, who is with his new teammates on a team-sponsored trip to Paris, is expected to compete with redshirt sophomore Brandon Peters for the starting job at Michigan.

Last season, he started the first seven games for Mississippi and passed for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns before a leg injury ended his season late in October.

Patterson transferred to Michigan in December shortly after the NCAA banned Ole Miss from playing in a bowl game at the end of the 2018 season because of rules violations. He applied for immediate eligibility late in February.